Symphony in Nibelheim
by Futatsuiwa from Sado
Summary: Even after being warned by a roped-off area in the library, Ethan really didn't think anything bad would happened. That is, before he ended up striking a deal with devils and landing in Tales of Symphonia. Whoops. A Self-Insert story.
1. 1  Whoops, Did I Open That?

**Author's Note: At least, I think that's what we say! Hi everyone! I hope this story goes over moderately to super well! I always wanted to do a self-insert, and minus the one by, erm, I forget the name but the main character is Razz, I think! But anyway other than that I didn't see any/many starring guys! Maybe it's a thing? Either way, I enjoy criticism (Or try to, unyuuu) and I will do my best to update this story as I work on it in school! (Because I have games to play at home w) My only probable issue is I may have rushed in the opening quick. There's a time gap in this chapter of my writing, I wonder if it's noticeable?  
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Chapter 1 - Why Yes, Chains DO Mean Keep Out!

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Today, I am tired. Way too tired. None of what's happened is making any sense, and I think my brain is about to break.

Let me go back a bit, so you understand.

I was walking home from school yet again. Dad doesn't really want to pick me up ever, it's wet, and it's just really, really cold. Bleh. I never minded rain as long as it wasn't cold, but it was just freezing! What a perfectly lovely way to spend a birthday, really. It's the first day of spring, goshdarnit! Maybe I was trying too hard to get noticed for it, but I wouldn't mind if someone just ran up to me and said something like, I dunno, "Hey Ethan, happy birthday, have a peanut!" Or something like that. I hadn't had the time recently to worry about my birthday because I've had so much stuff on my mind, like practicing driving and catching up in French and doing my projects as well.

I don't even like peanuts.

Anyway, back to the part where it was really cold. Because it is! I just checked my phone, and it was like, thirty-seven degrees! Fahrenheit, mind. I think that's cold, more or less. I'm not really good with time or temperature. Ick, my shoes are getting soaked. Normally, I like to just walk straight on home, but it takes a half hour, and on a day like this…

At the crosswalk, I made a right today. That would be where I messed up. I should have gone straight ahead, but my wishes to not be utterly drenched overrode my thoughts.

I crossed the bridge on the way to the library, seeing as it's the closest public structure that wouldn't kick me out. Passing through downtown on a day like this is annoying, since none of the shops will let you stay if you don't buy anything. And let's just say that I have no money, and leave it at that.

The courtyard on the way to the library was nice, though. At least, it usually is. The rain had made all the plants sort of soggy and their vines and leaves are hitting the sidewalk. I know the past few days were sunny and all, but you really don't have to make up for it. Gosh darned rain. I walk under the little roof thing in the middle of the walk that connects the library and the…other building. I think it's some sort of board of education type thing, but I can't say I've ever bothered to look. I barely leave my own house, as is. Yuck, my hair is all wet. I really should have brought my hood today, but I didn't think it would be raining the whole day, so I'm just left with my fluffy coat that also hates the rain. It's sort of like, right where my elbow is, it's not padded and I just feel the wet, and, just, euuuurgh. Enough of that, I may as well go inside at this point.

It's warmer in here, and I sort of have to shrug off my coat and bag to make sure I don't start sweating. I just drop the stuff at a table and decide to look around while I dry off. There's a section of the library I've never really gone to, and I figure I may as well go find it at this point. It's in the way back, and hard to notice if you're not right next to it. And…hey, it's locked up. There's this silly chain across it. Then again, isn't it always there? Wait…was it ever here at all? My memory is all fuzzy. I want to go in, but I guess I should go back…

I looked both ways and ducked right under it when no one's looking. What? I just want to see what's there! Besides, I never get to do stuff like this, like, ever. I feel like I'm in an action movie, it's so exhilarating!

…And now I'm bored. It's sort of dusty, and, um, dark. What, did they just give up on lighting the place? Bleh. Well, I may as well poke around the books while I'm here. Gosh, it's really quiet all of a sudden. And really creepy. Euuuugh, just pick a book and get out of here, Ethan. Huh. None of these books actually have titles. They're all just…blank. I think I'll just, uh, grab the biggest one. It's a red book, and really dusty, like all the others. I blew on the top, and a bunch of the stuff just flies off and away. I nearly sneezed, too. I never liked dust. It's so…dusty! Anyway, I took a peek inside, flipping through it. All the pages are blank. At least, I think so.

Yep. All of them. I had flipped through all the pages three times now. Just empty parchment. It's not even paper. How old is this thing? I turned the book upside down and shook it a little, just to see if anything was in there, and, as if on command, a small, tiny slip of paper fell out and gently floated down, somehow seeming ominous in the way it fell. I think the atmosphere of the place is starting to get to me. I mean, think about it! I'm in a back corner of a library, full of dusty books terrible lighting, and no one else is here. I sort of really just want to hightail it out of here at this point. I'll go home, blow off my homework, and nag Ryan to play Tales of Symphonia with me. Or Vesperia. Maybe Blazblue, but we only have one Xbox controller. He's probably home by now, too, jerk.

I bent down to pick up the blank slip of paper. It's really small, sort of like the tabs you put in dividers. At the same time…it isn't dusty at all. Not even a little bit, which makes no sense, seeing as my fingers were now caked in the dust of the pages. Let's see, anything on the other side? Nope. I flip it over one more time, and my heart jumps a little, seeing as words have just appeared on the page. Well, not words. Just one.

_Welcome._

My mind barely had time to even think of anything before I felt myself feeling light as my head reeled, and my senses blacking out. I think the last thing I heard was a thud as my body hit the floor, book at my side.

Ugh, my head…what happened? Oh, uh, right, the library…I'm at the library…I think.

I took a look around my surroundings, rubbing my head. It still hurt a little, regardless of the library's carpeted floors. I'm still there, I think. It's a lot brighter, though not too much so. The books on the shelf are lined up pretty nicely, and there's a space in between two of them where the book I took out should be, I think. I feel around for my glasses, which probably fell from my face when I took my own fall. Instead, my hands meet the blank book in question. I tch slightly, before realizing I can see just fine, anyway. The first words out of my lips as my hand touches my face are, "What…?" I'm nearly blind without my glasses, so I'm kind of confused right now.

"Hey there."

"Holy-!"

I'm pretty sure my heart jumped up to my throat right then, and I grabbed my chest with one hand while balancing myself with the other. My eyes meet the speaker, who…looks rather odd, to be honest. He…er, she? I can't tell, whatever. I'll go with he for now. He looked human enough. He had his hair back in some ponytail, and wore some ripped vest with some undershirt underneath, and had shorts and shoes on. There were also like, all these weird belts around him. The part that made me freak out was that he had chains on his wrists, like handcuffs, but they were broken. They jangled sort of casually as he waved a hand in front of my face.

"Uh, yeah, you. Hi. You awake?" Even his voice was ambiguous. It could pass as one for a girl or boy. Either way, I backed up a little, seeing as he's probably some escaped convict come to take me away. Urrrgh, so confused.

"Uh, s-stay back!" Yep, great way to sound confident, Ethan. I actually think my voice cracked a little. Handcuff-sheman over there just frowned and put his hands on his hips, speaking more to himself than me, and what he said shocked me further.

"Tch, way to go. We needed someone who wasn't an idiot, and," He spared me another glance, looking me up and down with a piercing stare. Yikes, those eyes are scary. They're like, staring at my soul. "Someone who wasn't from an entirely different world all together." And then my brain broke. He just shook his head, placing his fingertips on his forehead. "Oh well, we'll have to make do, I suppose. The spell only works once." He paused for a moment. "Argh, what a pain…"

"H-hey, wait a second…" I stuttered again, and got to my knees. We were about the same height, although I think he was a few inches taller. "Another world? W-Where am I?" Oh dear, I'm feeling a little woozy. Come on, Ethan, don't faint. The supposed criminal regarded me with another look, and I think my confidence may have broken. "I-If you could, um, tell me, please…"

Another sigh. God, this guy is a dick. "You're certainly not where you were." He smiled. Ugh, I hate cryptic crap like that! "Why don't you just look around yourself? That should answer it."

Now that I notice it…other than the bookshelf, nothing else is the same! I'm on this like, round circular platform, and everything beyond it is sort of…mucky, you could call it? It's like, just some swirly red and black stuff, like it's some gas. It looks solid, but I'm pretty sure I'd fall if I walk off this little area. "Ummm…" I think that's all I manage. I mean, I know I was no longer in New Jersey, but all this is just confusing. I can't tell where I am from a bunch of colors with no shape. I look back at the terribly impatient one, who seems to have applied his palm to his face.

"Idiot." Jerkface. "Have you heard of a place called Niflheim? Cause you're here." Niflheim? "To be more specific, you're in a subsection of Niflheim, Nibelheim. They sound similar, but they're different, okay?" I had heard the name before, I just forget where. I nodded anyway, seeing as causing this guy more aggravation probably won't do me any good. "Good. Well, since you're the lucky guy who activated the spell, you are now contracted. To us."

"Wait, what…?" Is this some kind of joke? "Um…what do you mean, contracted?"

"It means," He had this aggravated tone in his voice, making it pretty obvious he didn't want me around. "That you are coming with me to fulfill a mission for our master." Our master? I…really don't like the sound of this.

"…What kind of mission?" My heart was starting to beat faster now. I don't like not knowing where I am, and I think shock is settling into my system. This is probably just a dream, but…it feels so real.

"My master has need of…a set of weapons, only found in a specific land. We are to travel there, search for, and retrieve all ten of them. They have been lost to time, yet they were once his. Right now, he is currently powerless without them." He looked at me for a while, seeming to stifle a yawn. Was he waiting for me to ask the obvious? I guess so.

"Well, uh, what land are we going to? And what are these weapons?" I don't like the sound of weapons. I don't want to go around retrieving atomic bombs from foreign places.

"You're taking this rather well. Much better than the others." He pointed out idly, seeming to place his interest in his chains, jangling them around with one hand. I didn't like the sound of others. It makes It sound like people have died doing this. Suppressing a shiver, I manage to respond.

"Trust me, I'll probably start freaking out if I found out I'm not dreaming." I grin, releasing any tension I had. It doesn't seem like he's going to hurt me, so I think I'm alright in that regard. Not that it would matter, seeing as I'd wake up just fine. "I repeat my question, too, um…"

"Micah," He finished for me, answering my unspoken question. "The name given to the collection of weapons happens to be the Devil's Arms." I think the feeling of realization spreading from my heart reached my eyes now. That's where I had heard Niflheim from! "And we will be going to the land of Sylvarant." Holy crap, Sylvarant! It's like I'm somehow in Tales of Symphonia! As long as I'm unconscious, at least. I may as well make the most of it.

"Alright, let's go!" I pump one fist in the air, showing my excitement. I can go meet the main cast, and get gald from monsters, and beat things up with a weapon, and…

Oh. Right, I need a weapon. I'm no elf, so I can't cast magic. Then there was the part where this might be before the events of the game, or even after! But, um, let's not worry about that one just yet. What would I use, though? I mean, I don't like swords, they're heavy and, um, I don't like to be hit.

"You're certainly excited." Micah cut into my thoughts with that hard-edged voice of his. It's sort of grating. "Do you even know where, or what Sylvarant is?" Crap, time to start lying.

"Uhhh…" I rubbed the back of my head halfheartedly. "Not really…but it sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Micah allowed himself a smile. Am I really that amusing?

"Sure. Here." He strode over to the bookshelf and pulled a book from it. It certainly wasn't as big as the one I had looked at, yet it was still somewhat sizable. He shoved it in my arms and walked back to his original standing point. "That'll teach you everything you need to know about the world and its geography. Now then…the next thing to do is get you a weapon." I think my eyes lit up right then, because I think Micah smirked again. Eheh…

"Well, aren't you excitable." It looked like he was fiddling with that weird murky stuff, although it was hard to tell; his back was to me now. "We'll see how excited you are when we get to fighting. Now, let's see…" The noise lasted on his tongue for a while, and I think he was talking to himself at this point. "It would be a bad idea to give a newbie like you a sword, and as far as I can tell, you're no elf…" He turned his head and fixed me with a stare. "What are you, anyway?"

"Uh…" That was sort of a tough question. I mean, I know I'm human, but being from a whole different world and all, would I be Earthling or something? Let's just go for the former. "I'm a human, if that's what you call it here. I dunno if I can do magic and stuff, but that's about all I can say." He sort of just frowned at me in return. I guess he was hoping for something more detailed, but…really, what else can I say? I'm not going to say I'm from a really big planet with no magic and am pretty much useless. He'd probably kick my ass out of here.

"Whatever. Right, since we don't know if you can use magic…" He finally turned around, holding a… bag. Am I supposed to fight with that? What am I going to do, beat people with it? I'm not some old lady with a purse and pepper spray. "We'll make do with magical weapons." He tossed it at me, which I caught, although not so gracefully. It was getting tiring, holding all these items! I kneeled down to the floor, and put the bag and book down, next to each other. The bag itself looked fairly normal. It had a shoulder strap and was mostly blue in color, with a sort of flap as a makeshift zipper. I opened it up and looked inside. It was empty enough; in fact, it didn't look like it had a bottom! So I put the book inside it, closing the bag once more. And then Micah was suddenly next to me, which scared the crap out of me.

"This will be your weapon. From what I can tell, you have an abnormally low amount of mana, so," He pointed at the bag. "That is what will store any mana you may come in contact with. Mana is essentially the life force of everything in Sylvarant, by the way." He added the last bit before continuing. "I can't say I know what would happen if your mana-deficient body comes in contact with the amount in Sylvarant, so just keep it around." I nod, subconsciously pulling the bag closer. I dunno, what if I explode or something?

"So, um…" I put my hands on my hips, asking the question. It's a habit. Dad says it makes me look girly, but he's not here now, is he? "What now?"

"Now…" Woah, he's back on the other side of the room. "We fight." Wait, what!

I backed up a bit right there, seeing as how Micas started cracking his knuckles. I hate that, and it's sort of foreboding. "Wh-what do you mean, fight?" I manage to get out. I don't like pain. It hurts!

"I mean fight. How else are you gonna practice?" Oh god he's coming at me. "Don't worry; I won't hurt you too badly." Did I mention I don't like fighting? I'm not very strong and I don't even know what to do with a bag! I mean, I can swing it, but uh, yeah. I doubt that'll knock him unconscious or do much at all.

"Oh right. Uh, just use your mana to perform artes with it." Easy for him to say. And didn't he just say himself that I was mana deficient! What a jer-Oh crap he's coming at me. Micah threw a punch right at my face, which I not so gracefully fell backwards to avoid. Grabbing my bag, I swung it at his legs, which he much more easily dodged, and with an infuriating grin on his face. "Come on, I'm sure you can do better than that! Use an arte on me, it won't hurt." But I don't know how to use an arte! Nor do I have the time to say that, cause he's rushing at me again, pulling back a fist. I turn around and run and oh gods he's gaining on me please don't hurt me don't hurt me don't hurt meeeee-

Gack.

I clawed at my neck uselessly while Micah had a firm grip on it. His previously broken chains seemed to have reformed into one, now wrapped around my neck. He started speaking in a tone I could consider to be confused. "Hey…don't you know how to fight?" He hadn't released his grip, and my face is starting to get rather red as I shook my head violently. I think I'm getting dizzy.

A gasp of breath could be heard in all of Nibelheim when he let go, I bet. "Well. This is certainly a setback. I suppose I'll have to teach you then." He turned slightly, running his hand through the front of his hair.

"No." I said bitterly. "No, no, no, no! I don't know how to use artes, or mana, or any of that other crap! I can barely avoid attacks and you just start punching me out of nowhere, you asshole!" I was getting all red again. "And NOW you're going to TEACH ME after you GIVE ME THE MOST USELESS ADVI-" I held my face as a red mark appeared at my cheek, and my assailant stood over me, a grim look on his face.

"Quiet." I already am, thanks to you. "There is no reason for you to be so loud. If you do not know how to fight, I will teach you. Through force." He wound back once again, and oh god he's aiming for my face I don't want to bleed I don't want to get hurt. I hold my arms in front of me, looking away to avoid seeing the punch connect, but…

Ow. Ow ow owwww. My arms bite back with a terrible pain spreading through it, and I'd call them broken if I heard a crack. Micah wound back another punch, and I sort of clamber backwards, hoping he'd miss. Instead of that happening, however, his punch flew straight down as it broke the ground below is, sending shrapnel from the floor at me-augh, my arm! A shard of the floor stuck in it, and I cried out. It hurts, oh god it hurts so badly. "Fight. Or die." Micah said once more, watching me get up. I'd remove the bit stuck in my arm, but I'm sure I'll start gushing blood or something, so I settle on gritting my teeth and running towards him with bag in hand. I'm sort of hoping I'll manage to bludgeon him or something. He simply sidestepped my vertical swing, which I turned into a spin to try and catch him in the side.

His arm simply catches the strap of the incoming weapon and pulls, causing me to fall forward at his strength. Ugh…I turn myself around, clutching my head now, which had met the floor first. Oh god he's walking up to me I'm going to die but then I'll wake up right yeah that's how it works oh go-

Micah's hand is shoved awkwardly in front of me, and when I looked up at him he had this sort of disappointed face going on. I took the hand and he pulled me up, at least.

"Well, I can't say you were terrible," I narrow my eyes at him. Meanie. "But let's try not to be so clumsy." He gave an infuriating grin, which I scowled at. What, did he expect me to be perfect from the start? He reached into one of his pockets and produced a vial, I think of plastic. It had some red liquid in it, which grossly reminded me of the shard in my arm, which I finally decided to remove, first of all. I closed my eyes and looked away, tenderly grabbing the piece and pulled it out as quickly as I could. Augh…it hurts! I return to clutching the wound, and I could feel the blood stick to my fingers. We didn't even fight that long and I'm reduced to this…god, I'm pathetic. Ah, he's still waiting for me to take it. I gingerly grab it with my wounded arm hand and examine it as best I can. I feel like I know what it is. It's red, and is sort of like jelly when I look at it, because while I can tell it's not solid, it's not sloshing around or anything. What was it again…?

"That's an apple gel. Get used to them." Oh, that was it! An apple gel…this should be able to fix me up just fine, if I can go by the games. I always wondered how they were stored, so I guess this made sense instead of throwing a mess of jelly in your bag. I can't say I've ever liked gelatinous stuff, but as long as I don't have to swallow it… "Since you're not badly injured, simply uncork it and rub some on your arm. You should be fixed up in no time." He watched as I fumbled with the cork for a moment, wincing as I let go of my arm to handle it. I tipped the container upside down, and the gel slid out smoothly, although I shuddered while watching it. I hate the way jelly and stuff moves. It feels odd in my hand, like…yeah, like jelly, but more compact. I slapped it to the wound, rubbed it in, and let the gel do its work. Woah…it's like the wound just stitched itself up completely! It felt sort of weird, too, like, invigorating. I feel much better, and it looks better too. I touch where it sealed experimentally, and it felt softer than the rest of my skin. I was about to give it another poke when a hand stopped me. Gosh, Micah is rather physical.

"Don't do that. The wound is still regenerating; it just stopped the blood flow. Give it a couple minutes, and then do whatever you want."

"How kind of you." I quipped back at him. He's sort of annoying, but it's nice to know he cared. And that he's not beating me to death.

"I'd rather you not be a whiny, bleeding mess before we even begin." Tch. Jerk. "Still, that was rather disappointing. I suppose you'll have to learn as we search, because I'm not going to spend a month teaching you everything you need to know to survive." That made me think a second, and I raised a question that was nagging at the back of my mind for a while now.

"Why do you need me, anyway? You're certainly capable enough to do whatever without me." He blinked a second, as if I were stupid, and then caught himself.

"Oh, you wouldn't know about that, would you…" He trailed off, probably thinking about to how to explain whatever he was going to say. "Let's put it this way. Have you ever seen a demon?" I gasped as he brushed the fringe of his hair aside, revealing a small…protrusion in his scalp. I guess it could be called a horn. So he was a demon, then? Suddenly, I'm a lot less comfortable. It's not like I should have been expecting different, but seriously…gosh.

"Normally it's much more prominent, signifying me as a demon. Not all demons look like this, but my kind generally does. Obviously, we can't travel around others with a big horn sticking out of our head. As such, we form a bond with another being. Essentially, we draw off your mana signature to appear more like your race. The problem is," He sighed. "Your mana signature is so pathetic it won't do the full job. I'll simply have to be a little careful.

"So…" I responded slowly, because it's sort of confusing. "You need me so you can travel this, uh," I pause. I gotta make it believable that I don't actually know just about everything in Sylvarant, you know? "Sylvarant place, right?" He nodded back at me, and elaborated.

"Yes. As long as you exist within Sylvarant, I may travel unimpeded by my physical characteristics. However, until I can trust you…" He came up to me and slung his arm around my shoulder. He smelled…fruitier than I imagined. Never mind me, just being weird. "I'll have to keep you with me so you don't go off and get yourself killed." Well, he's certainly tactful, isn't he?

I hate watching conversations die, so I thought something up on the spot to ask next, since it wasn't an entirely stupid question to ask. "So, um, where are we going to go first?"

"Hm. I hadn't thought about that. Take out the book I gave you."I complied, fumbling with the bag's flap for a moment before producing the material in question. He took it and sat down, so I did the same, watching as he flipped through the book. He stopped near the end, at which a map was located. I could vaguely guess it was Sylvarant, although I hadn't played the game itself recently, so I couldn't be sure. Micah confirmed my thoughts, and then placed his fingers at a point in the middle of the left end of the map, labeled Iselia. I think my heart exploded there because OH MY GOSH I CAN BE IN THE PLOT YESSSSSS.

"We will start our search over here, at the town of Iselia. We will search the surrounding area, keeping away from the Human Ranch," His finger moved to a point nearby Iselia, and traced downwards. "After which, we will travel south, to the Triet Desert. We will probably take some time to gather information from the citizens of Triet, lest we get lost in the desert beforehand." I nodded, showing that I got the point. "After which, we will cross the mountains of the Ossa Trail, and then we reach the fishing port, Izoold. That is all we will need to focus on for now." He looked straight at me then, with those darned piercey eyes yuuuurgh. "You should be prepared. This part of the search will likely take quite some time. The continent may not be all that large, but we must search everywhere we can." I gulped, and then nodded. Jerk! If we do that, I'll miss the whole journey thing! Although, I wouldn't mind waking up soon, either.

"Alright then. Now…I am not particularly experienced with this, so you should hope I do this correctly." Micah got up, using his knee as leverage, and held out both his arms towards the lonely bookcase. He started chanting some weird…words, as a sort of magic circle formed under his feet. I couldn't catch what he said, so I'll just chalk it up to something like, he said, "Oook ik om nom nom bop boop beep…" Of course, he said nothing of the sort, but regardless.

The room started shaking, and the bookcase seemed to split itself in two, and…it was all very dramatic, honestly. I wouldn't be surprised if an ominous chorus started playing, but that's beyond the point. From behind the bookcase was…an equally ominous door. Gosh, how expected. Micah lowered his arms, looking a little fatigued, if nothing else. …He's really strong.

"Alright, that should do it." He breathed, seeming a little out of breath, before looking at me. "Once we enter this door, we should be transported somewhere on the outskirts of Iselia's boundaries, and hopefully nowhere near the ranch." I shuddered, hoping he was right. I didn't know his reasons for not wanting to go there, but I'd rather not watch all that scary stuff go down. And oh gods he's next to me again. "Come on. You'll need to hold onto me if you want to make it through in one piece." He roughly grabbed my hand, his handcuffs chafing against my own wrist. Now that I think about it…he seems much more like a demon of Japanese origin, like, an oni or something. You know, with the broken chains and stuff. I'll have to see if his weakness is beans, or whatever it was. It would be pretty funny. Anyway, I am busy being uselessly dragged over to the overdramatic and silly door.

As we got closer to the door itself, it didn't look…real, oddly enough. It wasn't like a normal door you would see every day, because this one just looked…not there. It had this eerie glow about it, and I swear it was shifting in and out of view. It was sort of terrifying, to be honest. It didn't look all that reliable. Of course, I didn't have time to examine it for more than a few seconds when we [i]ran through the door[/i]. I'm not even kidding. Micah just ran straight through it and took a great leap down; as he cried out, "Hang on!" I think I might have shrieked a little, since we were suddenly falling down a swirling vortex of impossibility. As poetic as that sounded, I had no idea what it was because I screwed my eyes shut and gripped Micah's arm with more force than I've ever held anything in my life.

My body thudded against something with surprisingly less force than I thought, but regardless, I felt myself losing consciousness. Oh well, I guess this is where I wake up. It's too bad, too, because I can sort of hear voices yelling at me…or was it for me? It doesn't matter much, I suppose. I'll just wake up and it'll be morning, and I'll have to drag through school again.

Boy, was I wrong.

Ugh…where am I? Everything's all fuzzy…did I lose my glasses? Wait, no, everything's getting clearer now. I rose out of bed tiredly, rubbing my eyes. What a dream that was. If only I was so lucky to actually end up in a game. I didn't even get to see any of it, either! What a ripoff! I pouted slightly before my eyes widened.

This is not my bed. It's not my room, either. Did I actually get kidnapped! I leapt out of the wooden bed and ran to the window. It's…a lot of forest. How am I going to get home from here! I turned around, examining the room I'm stuck in. It's wooden, like everything else. I guess someone built it. There's a lot of plants growing out of cracks and spots too. They're everywhere. Other than that, it looked like a regular room. A dresser for clothes, a small nightstand…nothing a kidnapper would have, I don't think. There are two doors, so I may as well try one. I walked over to the one closest to me and opened it.

As I stepped outside, I realized that this was a sort of veranda. Peering down, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. There was a sort of barn stall to the side, some clothes hanging on a, er, clothesline, I think it was called. There was also a grave to the side, which caused me to frown slightly. I hate depressing scenes like that. Then again, isn't this familiar? I swear, I've seen something like this before…

…Wait a second. This is like, that house! Ugh, no Ethan, snap out of it. That was a dream. Someone must have taken me from the library when I passed out. I don't know why, seeing as I'm not exactly attractive, but still. Either way, I have to get out of here as soon as possible. I don't know if whoever took me is through the other door, but I can't simply jump down to the ground from this height. It makes me woozy thinking about it. I turned away from the railing and went back inside, striding towards the other wooden door.

A staircase downstairs stood in front of me. I took a step down the first, and winced as it made, and I swear it, the loudest creak I had ever heard. It was creepy, despite how bright and sunny it is outside. There are noises further down, too. I can't hear them, but it sounds like a lot of clinking and grunting. Unyaaaaa, I want to run back upstairs now. I get so jumpy when I don't want to! Regardless, I steel myself and take another step, wincing. I didn't realize how much my foot was hurting; I was so overcome with anxiety. I examine it momentarily; it looks like my ankle is pretty bruised, and now that I'm paying attention to it, I noticed my arm hurts a bit too. It's all like a dull ache, so I guess I really did take a fall, like I had felt at the end of the dream. But…was it really a dream? Argh, it's all so confusing! First, Ethan, focus on going down the damned stairs!

I think I may have yelped as I reached the end of the stairs and saw who was making the noise. It was a small man. He looked really gruff and mean, and wore like, blacksmith's clothes. Overalls and all that. Maybe I'm being stereotypical, but regardless. In fact, you could even call him a dwarf…no Ethan, that was a dream. He looks really busy, so maybe I can just sneak by him…

"And where do ya' think yer goin'?" Gack. I froze and turned around, seeing the short man give me a steely gaze. Argh, he really does look like…no, he doesn't. "Dwarven Vow Number Forty-One: Haste makes waste." My mind blanked. "It's plain rude to leave the person who provided you with shelter and have nary a word to say to him." He crossed his arms, probably to seem more authoritative, but…

He IS a dwarf? Oh, crap, what if it wasn't a dream! What if I'm stuck in Symphonia? Oh god oh god oh god. I guess the only way to affirm it is to answer him. "Um…well…sorry." Was all I could think of to respond as best as I could. I started rubbing my wrist with one hand. It's a habit I tend to do when I'm nervous. The short, tanned man smirked and waved one arm as if to dismiss my apology.

"Don't pay no mind to it. I'd rather if ye' didn't wander off and pass out again, is all. It seems ye took quite a fall." He motioned to a slight wooden table with two seats to the side. "Why don't ye' jus' sit a spell and tell me what happened." I nodded, and then decided to ask the question that was on my mind for a while, dreading the answer.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Call me Dirk. An' yours?" Oh. Crap.

A few minutes later, I was sitting across from Dirk, staring at this pot of…something in between us on the table. I swear there's a boot in it! He had called it Dwarven Potluck Surprise. I could recall the name, but…well, it's certainly surprising. I wasn't feeling all that hungry…or thirsty, so my own bowl of oddities was left untouched. I had given Dirk my name, and then sort of felt dizzy and sat down. So, the dream…was real? As fun as it seems, I…I'm scared. I miss Mom and Dad already, and who's going to take care of Brendan? Ryan can't alone. I hope that they're alright. The memory is still fuzzy, but…how did I get here again? Maybe I could go back.

…No, I remember. I can't go back the way I came, can I? That…demon…thing, he brought me here. But where was he? Did we get separated when we went through the door? Well…I know I have to get to the Temple, that's the closest thing to a meeting place as I can think of. Ah, but first I should probably talk to the dwarf in front of me, shouldn't I? I'd hate to offend him.

"Ah, um, right…"I began, but where to begin? "As I said, I'm Ethan, and um…" I paused, trying to think a moment. I needed a cover story, like, now. "I'm from Hima, more or less. I've been living at the inn for a while. Or at least, I had been." I stopped again, furrowing my brows once more. "The last thing I remember was a really sharp pain in the back of my head, and then nothing else." The dwarf nodded. Although my pauses were to create lies, they were believable in context as well. Although in reality I was abducted by a book by a demon and then thrown into a game world, but, uh, yeah. "Um, what happened after that, then?" I finished off, with, rather uncertain myself. I doubt Dirk was randomly wandering about and then my body fell on him from a tree or something.

"Ah, right, lad. According to my son, he was going to school in Iselia when he saw you, unconscious on the ground. Apparently, ye' were about to be attacked by monsters." Oh! Lloyd found and saved me? That's actually really cool! …Or it would be if I was awake for any of it. "He brought ye' back here and ran off. I bet he's late, already." He finished, adding the last part knowingly. He turned back to me with a more serious look. "Ye' were pretty banged up. Wasted a lot o' our gel supplies." Oh, gosh! Now I feel like I have to repay him. Curse you, conscience.

"Um, well, I'd be happy to repay you in full, if you want. I don't really have any money, but…" In truth, I don't even know how I would find any money. In fact, my current objective is to get to the Temple, but how am I going to manage that? I only have a bag to fight with, and…

Wait, no. No bag. I felt my sides frantically before Dirk got up and moved out of my line of vision. "Ah, right. Yer probably lookin' for this, ain't ye'?" He came out, holding the object in question. Thank heavens! If Micah wasn't lying, then losing that may well have turned me into a grotesque thing, or something. Maybe I'd grow an extra limb. Regardless, I took back my bag with glee.

"An' don't ye' worry about paying me back or anything. However…" He turned around again, this time heading towards his pile of, er, blacksmithery on the other side of the room. After some rummaging, he turned back at me, a pouch of some sort in his arms. "I hate to ask someone who is still sufferin' injuries, but if ye' could run down to the village and pick me up a few things, ye' can consider us even." …I don't want to betray this man's trust, but it looks like taking the pouch and going to the Temple is the only way I'll get going anywhere. I avoided looking at the dwarf as I nodded, holding out my hand, where he placed the pouch of what I could only assume to be gald in my hand.

And so, I set out from Dirk's house, giving the dwarf a wave before he was obscured by the many trees now surrounding me. He had said the way to Iselia was just straight down the hill his house was built upon, and told me to avoid the human ranch. Pssh, like I'd be going there anyway. I'll have my hands full just battling what monsters I might run into. Oh, crap, monsters! I clench the strap of my bag tighter, keeping my eyes peeled for sudden movement. Wait, that bush! I jumped back, and steeled myself for what was to attack me.

…A small rabbit hopped out of the shrubbery, and then bounced away, in search of food. I relaxed and felt my face grow hot as I realized how embarrassing I must have looked. It's not like every animal is a monster! I continued down the path, keeping myself alert, either way.

Before long, I came across a fork in the road. But I knew one of them I would never go on. To my right loomed the ominous, oppressive building sealed by walls of steel and barbed wire. I winced; I could hear the crack of a whip and a yelp of pain from even here. It's all too disgusting, and I might just pass out if I stick around much longer. Keeping my head down, I briskly continued on my way.

The rest of the trip through the forest was rather silent. Atleast, I wished it was. A slow buzzing hummed from behind me, and I froze. Oh god. I ran the monsters you could find here through my head again. There were mushroom things, pink rabbits, and…" My mind blanked out as the uncomfortable buzzing grew ever louder. I hate bugs. You have no idea how much I hate bugs. I think they're nice when they're where they belong, but…

I don't want to turn around. It just…I bet it's so disgusting. But I have to. I have to, or I could die. There were two sets of buzzing now. I closed my eyes for a moment, and forced myself to turn around.

There they were. Huge, disgusting, hornet things. Seriously! They were about as tall as the length from my feet to my waist, and….ugh. They're /hairy/. I don't want to fight these things! But, they decided to fight me as the first of the pair dived straight at me, stinger ominously large and pointed. I dove out of the way before rolling across the ground to avoid the second one, which seemed to have launched itself at me with such force that it had embedded itself in the ground. If I recall, bees and stuff can detach their stinger as they wish, but…Oh god, I want to vomit. I remove my bag from my wrist, and…

I smashed the bag straight into the bug's side. The bag actually moved with much more force than I anticipated, and I swear it glowed slightly. Could it be using mana? Regardless, I had no time to dwell on this as it smashed the bug's top half clean from its lower end, as a disgusting liquid spewed out of it and got on my pants and bag. If I wasn't so fueled by fear and disgust, I would honestly be vomiting right now. The half-a-hornet twitched and futilely moved its feelers before becoming still. I had no time to watch the whole spectacle, however, as the other bug flew straight at me. I tripped to the side to avoid it, but I felt its body graze my arm. If that was any closer, its stinger would be stuck in there. I don't think I was bleeding, but I had no time to think, only react.

I raised my bag and struck out at the insect, but it buzzed just out of reach. I followed by swinging sideways at it as it shot its stinger at me. Fortunately, my inability to have any balance saved me as the weight of the bag caused me to waver to the side, just missing the projectile as my own weapon did its job of utterly blasting that thing away. It didn't explode or get ripped apart like the other one, since it wasn't attached to any immobile item. I sighed. If this was what all battles were like, maybe I should lay down and wait to die right now.

…Yeah, you should know I'm too fond of living to do that. I am tired, though, and I worry that those bugs had friends. I'm not sure if hornets in Sylvarant have hives and stuff, but I can't be too careful. I'm not too sure I can get through another scrape with a bunch of bugs, because I got really lucky there. Ah…I think I see the exit. I descended the pathway to see a clearing in the trees, and I soon found myself in the wide open plains of Sylvarant. Wow…it's so pretty. And I think it only took me, like, a half hour or so, I think. I'm no good at time, and I'm shaky on the whole method involving your shadow. It seems to be around midday though, maybe about noon? Assuming that I was convenient enough to land in here at just about the time the game takes place, then it should be about noon, I suppose. I didn't see any blinding white light, so the oracle didn't happen. And Lloyd is still going to school, apparently, so it should be before or about when the game begins now. Either way, Dirk said I should be able to see the village from here…ah! There it is.

The village gates seemed to be a good while away yet, but it wasn't too far if it was in sight. I'd estimate about…ten to twenty minutes? At the same time, urgh, my legs are already aching! I have a newfound respect for Lloyd, to be able to traverse this every day. …Wait, doesn't he have an exsphere? Cheater! Argh, whatever. Keeping my eyes peeled for any monster wolves or whatever, I trudged towards the village gates. Not too far in, I noticed the corpse of a wolf, strewn on its side, ahead of me. Or rather, smelled it first. The smell of blood is so depressing. It looked like it had been stabbed, from the looks of it. I know this is an everyday occurrence, but, ugh. I covered my nose and looked away, focusing instead on the village gates.

After some more walking, I finally stood in front of the gate. It was closed, with a sizable Noishe waiting patiently in front of it.

…

Noishe! Ahhhhhh, so adorable! His ears are so floppy and sticky-uppy and, uuuuuu! I stopped my advance towards the dog when it emitted a low growl. Oh, yes, he doesn't like strangers. Oops. But he's soooo cuuuute! Either way, I look up when I hear a voice calling at me.

"You would do best to avoid that one." Ah, right, it's those two village guards. They don't really look all that scary, even with their pointy spears, but it would be rude to ignore them.

"Ah, really? But he's such an adorable doggie!" I replied, with a smile. The first guard grimaced, and shook his head. They both looked sort of similar, although he was taller, and I think his brown hair was shorter than the other one.

"Not you too…" He shook his head and placed his palm on his forehead. I think he might have a headache. "I'll tell you now, that is not a dog, no matter what that boy says." The other guard nudged him with his elbow. I bet he's heard that one too many times.

"Come off it, Clayton." So that was his name. Clayton mumbled something under his breath before the other guard turned back to me. I think they're related. "Anyway, who would you be? We don't often get many visitors out here." Oh, dear, well, at least I don't have to lie to people about this.

"Ah, the dwarf up in the forest helped me out, so now I'm repaying the favor." I pulled the shopping list and pouch of gald out of my bag. "I'm grabbing a few things for him. Although it's my first time here…" I trailed off. Although Iselia seemed smaller than other places, it still was a pretty big village. I don't want to stumble in a house, looking for a shop and finding a bewildered family. The second guard smiled.

"Oh, yeah, Dirk! He fixed up some of the older weapons a while back. Well, either way," He stepped back, pulling Clayton with him. "Any friend of Dirk's is a friend of ours. Just come on through and-Clayton! The dog, Clayton! The dog!" He gestured wildly as Noishe started to make a break for the town, but was shortly repelled by the guard in question, brandishing his spear. The protozoan emitted a whine and stepped back once more. The supposed crisis averted, he turned back to me.

"As I was saying, come on through." He made a gesture with his spear down the village, and continued. "The general shops are in the center of town. Follow the path and you'll get there in no time." I smiled and thanked him, waving as I passed by. The people here sure are animated. I thought they'd be as static and boring as all the other NPCs. It made me uneasy, as if affirming this wasn't a dream. I shivered a little, despite the lovely breeze blowing by me.

The town really was beautiful, though possibly a bit too pleasant. It's an odd feeling. The air is beautiful and clean, and you can smell the crops from the other end of town. It was mostly the people. They seemed to be pleasant, but you could sort of feel this tension on them. I could bet it was the ranch. Living in fear of people who might decide to burn down your village at any time is pretty scary. Regardless, the village was really nice. The stores were set up in sort of a circle. One had a sign out front of a sword and shield, another, a bag, and the last, some fruit. I took a step inside the one that seemed to be the general store, and saw I was correct after seeing all the boxes and seemingly random supplies stacked on shelves. The shop clerk seemed to have been polishing some object or the other, and looked up as the bell on the door rang, signifying my entrance.

He looked like a nice man. I can't really say much about him, he wasn't very memorable. He was, however, nice enough to welcome me and show me his wares. The store was pretty cozy, itself, if not cramped. I could tell there was a huge mess in the back from peering to the side, but I was more interested in the wares on the shelf. I glanced down at the list again. It was something of a bunch of hasty scrawls on paper, but if I squinted…Ah. I think Dirk needs Apple and Orange Gels, a Panacea Bottle or two, and… I think that says Holy Bottle or something. I think it's that thing you use to keep monsters away. After realizing all these bottles and jars looked the same to me, I wordlessly shuffled over to the clerk and passed him the list. He went to the back and starting looking through the mess, I think.

After some awkward silence, he returned to the front with what Dirk needed. Why am I even doing this, anyway? It's not like I'll be going back…

I feel terrible.

After essentially pushing the pouch of gald on the clerk and taking leave with a thank you, I exited the store. It was just as quiet out here as in there. I absentmindedly stored my newly purchased items in my bag and continued down towards the school in the distance. It was the only building I really remembered, and I knew it was on the outskirts of town.

The smell of spring was nice, I admit, but I was still feeling really tense. I mean, how am I going to get home? I brushed the hair out of my eyes and continued, trying to ignore that nagging thought. It was a habit I had. I really needed a haircut, simply because it always got in the way and bothered my ears. I wonder if they have barbers in Sylvarant…

Unimportant, Ethan. Get to the temple. But…I really want to see if they're there! You know, them! The protagonists! It would be really creepy though, so maybe it's not the best idea. In the end, I turned away towards the dirt road and…

Ran straight up to the school's window. I am such a creeper.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I ducked down a little and peered through the blotchy glass as best I could. I don't think it's been cleaned for a while, but that's not the point. Luckily, I don't think anyone noticed me, seeing as all the students seem to be looking straight at the board. I can't recognize most of the kids, but…!

It's her! And and him! Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh-

Ahem. Excuse me for my fanboyisms, but they're like, right there! Colette, and and Genis! I think Lloyd is outside of my vision, seeing as this window is in the back of the class. But but, there they are! I feel like a total stalker, but I can't help staring at Genis' hair. It's so weird and like, white! But regardless! The room looks pretty, er, wooden, and…ah! This means that I'm right before the main plot of the story! I think so, atleast, since they're all in there. I hope I'm not too far back. I glance one more time to see if I can find the Professor…

Oh my god. She's staring right at me, and I think she has a chalkboard eraser in hand. I quickly remove myself from the window and take flight down the path. I, for one, do not want to meet my end by way of school supplies, more so those toted by an angry professor. After a few minutes of movement and looking over my shoulder, I slow down to catch my breath. I can see the Temple in the distance, as it's fairly large.

…But it's still so far awaaaaaay! This is stupid! My legs hurt again already, moreso because I haven't taken much of a break. Which I should probably do now to collect myself. I really should take the time to assess what's happened to me before I do anything. I gingerly removed my bag and placed it on a nearby patch of grass off the main dirt road before sitting upon it. I can't stand sitting on grass, mostly because…I just don't. It's weird. My stuff will be fine, anyway, I'm only sitting on the book in there. I should get around to reading some of it. I should get around to a lot of things. As I gazed at the ocean farther in the distance, I went through what has happened thus far in my head.

Okay, so, I opened some book that put me in a freaky dimension devil thing from Tales of Symphonia. That's understandable. Well, not particularly, but I get the gist of it anyway. Then some demon asshole guy told me I was now employed to said devil dimension to go and locate crap from a sidequest in the game because they can't do it alone. Which, might I add, is highly doubtful, but regardless. After which, said demon threw me and himself through some portal he made and I was knocked out. Assuming Dirk wasn't lying, Lloyd found me in the forest, and with his characteristic compassionate self, dragged me back to his house, where Dirk put me in his bed. Actually, he probably just lifted me up. I'm embarrassingly light. Anyway, I woke up, realized that I'm not dreaming, or I might still be, but anyway, I decided to go shopping for Dirk, and…am currently running off with his things.

Maybe if I can hitch a ride on the plot, I'll be able to return them. If the plot is even starting anytime soon. I'm sure it hasn't, as, if I recalled, after the game, the party all went their separate ways, so Raine wouldn't be teaching. Or would she? I think she was doing so in the sequel. I played the sequel, yes. Then again, Genis and Colette wouldn't be students, so I'm pretty sure this is B.P, B.P. being what I will now call Before Plot. I'm so witty. Regardless, the whole blinding light thing hasn't gone off, and I still have to get to the Temple if I want to go home and find those Devil's Arms.

…Argh, if only I remembered where all of them were! I know one is in some big worm thing, and another is in those mines on Tethe…Alla. Aw, crap. We're really going to have to hitch a ride with the plot if we want to get all the Arms.

…

I'm thinking too far ahead. Standing up, I slung my bag of stuff over my shoulder again and continued onwards. I'd prefer avoiding any scary zombies and bees, so I kept my eyes peeled. Best to be cautious. Actually, can't I be more than cautious? I could always use one of those Holy Bottles I bought somehow to keep monsters away. But…that would be using Dirk's stuff. Argh, moral dilemmas. I can see the Temple anyway, and the stairs now, as well. It should be fine.

And I was fine. Luckily, I wasn't hit by that whole irony thing and the monsters just kept to themselves, I suppose. I saw a few wolves and freaked out a moment, but they were intent on chasing a poor rabbit. Better it than me, I suppose. Now to just…climb those stairs. Argh, there's a lot of them, but I can probably rest in that little house up there next to the building once I get there. Using that motivation, I trudged upwards and along, keeping that end goal in mind.

"Welcome to Martel Temple, home of the Oracle! How may I help you today?" I was shortly greeted by a chipper young priest who looked about as, if not older, than me. His attitude was somewhat irritating, like that woman who really wants you to buy something from her stand. I simply smiled weakly and took a moment to catch my breath. Being frail is sort of depressing sometimes, as I have a weak constitution. The priest in question made a noise a bit like 'Oh!' and moved closer to me.

"Ah, let me help you with that," He reached for my bag, but I pulled away best I could. He frowned, but continued. "Well, at the least, why don't you come inside. I'm sure Phaidra won't mind one more visitor for the day." At this point, I gave in, allowing him to sort of hoist me onto his back and bring me inside. He was pretty strong, at least. He didn't look it, but maybe under all those robes he was some sort of extreme wrestler or something! I mean, I look light, but I do weigh about one hundred and sixty pounds or so. Both ways, it seems that we've arrived in some sort of hovel. I think I recall it from the game, but regardless, I find myself in front of a glass of water and hastily gulp it down.

Looking around, I noticed the place was not as small as it first appeared. Maybe the rest of it was built on the other side of the hill? I can see some other rooms, which I can assume to be akin to a kitchen and bedroom, although currently where I am, there's just a simply round table with some chairs around it. The floor was covered mostly by a large rug, the rest revealing the floor was simply the ground itself. I guess you can't use all that much when you live in the declining world.

"Thank you." My voice sounded a bit hoarse, but honestly, even I know I didn't walk horribly far. I'm just really pathetic, is all. I looked up, and found myself staring face to face with a wrinkled old hag. Gah! I jumped a little, which I hope she didn't notice, but all the same, she smiled. I think this is Phaidra!

"Good day, dear," She began. I couldn't help but notice how short she was. At least half my height, if not more. Terribly wrinkled as well. I do wonder how old she is. "It seems you have come a long way. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? Did you come to offer your blessings to Martel?" Hah, no. I certainly wasn't about to say it in her face, though as funny as it would seem. "I'm Phaidra, by the way, and I am the head priestess at this place of worship." Ah, I knew it!

I smiled, feeling better. "Oh, yes, hello! Um, nice to meet you, Phaidra!" I extended a hand, which she kindly took into her own. She sort of felt like an old beanbag. Gosh, I'm mean! "My name is Ethan, and I came from Hima. I suppose you could say that I came here to do such a thing."

"Hima? That's quite a ways from here. Well, I do admire your dedication to such a pilgrimage. Not many civilians I know of would take such a trip, especially one so young." Her smile seemed genuine, and I returned it. She then turned to the side and gestured with her cane. "Oh yes, the young priest who brought you here is Gabriel." Oh, like the angel. Funny how that works. "And if he would be so kind as to show you to the altar…?" She left the question hanging in the air, looking at the man in question patiently.

He bowed in return, replying with a short, "I would be honored to, Phaidra. Follow me, Ethan. Can you walk?" He asked, coming closer as if he was going to pick me up again. I hold my hands up defensively, standing up from my sitting place on my own.

"I'm fine, thanks! Just don't go too fast, I get lost easily." Phaidra released a chuckle out of that one.

"Well then, you must be quite lucky you didn't end up in the Triet Desert!" I laughed at that, and then headed out the door, where Gabriel was patiently waiting. Taking a look around, I noticed there wasn't nearly as many priests as I thought there should be outside. Maybe they're within? I posed the question to Gabriel, who smiled and said they were in the middle of prayer for the Oracle. I guess that made sense.

Gabriel himself looked a little silly in his outfit, in my opinion. The way it swayed while we walked to the entrance and how his hat bobbed every step made me think of a little boy trying on his father's clothes. I mean, don't really old people normally do the priest thing? He slowed his pace to catch up with mine, short black hair cut to a point where it would not get in the way of his priestly duties. That's not all that important, however. I have to find that Micah and…I don't know what next. But it would help to have someone who could beat the crap out of anyone nearby.

The Martel Temple loomed ahead of me. It made me uneasy, going into a place of angels when I had a deal with devils. I hope Remiel doesn't come out of nowhere and smite me where I stand. As we walked inside, it came to me that Botta might come here soon. That is, if what I believe is right and the Oracle is today. In which case, I cringe at the thought.

I never liked the sight of blood.


	2. 2 Temples and Surprise Spiders

The game certainly did not do the Martel Temple full justice.

I gaped in awe at the grand atrium of the temple. It wasn't anything special, but damn, it was big. The old stone created a tapping sound as Gabe's feet and mine walked across it, me following his lead. I decided to call him Gabe, now, by the way. It's much shorter and friendlier. We walked up the steps in the middle. There were two other paths to the side, and I idly noted the lack of a slight cave-in at the left path that was in the game. Yeah, sue me. I remember little things like that! Upon reaching the top of the small flight of stairs, I looked around for the inevitable teleporter, but instead, only came across more stairs. I suppose that such technology would be rather out of place, anyway.

"We have to walk up all those stairs?" I asked, rather plaintively. Stairs are so annoying.

"Well, of course we must," Gabe's creepily perfect smile flashed at me. "You travelled all this way, I assume you can travel a little longer." I groaned at that, causing him to chuckle a little. Is he teasing me? Gah, how annoying. We continued up the stairs, which had begun to spiral around a support beam, all lit by little lanterns casting away shadow. It felt like the light was judging me, it hurt my eyes. No matter. I gripped my bag a bit tighter and continued.

I took a minute to catch my breath as we reached the shrine, or whatever it's called. Place of worship, or something. At the least, I found out where all the priests were. They were all kneeling down, in prayer or something, in front of the altar. Gabe sidled up to me, and half-whispered in my ear, "They're praying for the Oracle. It seems you've arrived just in time, too. There's a spot for you right there." He pointed to a small opening around a ring of priests, between a skinny, pale one and a wider one. I nodded and walked over, kneeling over like they were, and clasped my hands together. I really have no idea what I'm doing. I probably should have sat with Phaidra until Micah showed up or something.

…My nose itches. I really really want to scratch it, but wouldn't that be disrespectful or something? Auuuuugh, it's really itchy! Maybe if I'm super quiet, nobody will notice if I move my hand a bit.

…

Almost there…

Wah!

Before I knew it, a bright light assaulted my eyes as I fell backward, along with skinny and heavy priest next to me. Did I do something wrong? Oh shit, is Remiel going to smite me? Covering my eyes with one hand and squinting upwards, it looks like a beam of light had just flown up out of nowhere from the shrine's core, into the sky. I faintly heard the gasps of awe from the priests over my own heart, but it was beating really fast out of surprise.

Then, as suddenly as it came, it simply left. The bright light blinding everyone around the room, dissipated, and the priests muttered in shock. Before long, the heavy priest who was next to me stood up and shouted, "The Oracle! The Oracle has come! Quickly, we must prepare for the Chosen's arrival!" This was met with a bunch of agreeing from the other priests as they all rushed out of the room, leaving me dumbfounded. Someone shortly helped me to my feet, and I turned my head to meet Gabe's face. I must have been surprised, because he chuckled and said, "Now, just because the Chosen is coming does not mean manners fly out the window. Leaving you here like this would be rude. Come, let us return to Phaidra. The others will have no doubt alerted her if the Oracle itself hadn't already." Aw, that was nice of him. I steadied myself, rubbing my eyes to remove any traces of sunspots dancing around my vision, and we both descended the stairwell from which we came. On the bright side, I wasn't horribly smited!

The silence, however, was murdering me. I mean, we could hear the clamor downstairs, but no conversation makes everything really awkward. In the effort to strike up conversation, I asked, "So, um, why weren't you rushing out with all those others?" He smiled.

"I thought I told you that already. I'm not one to throw manners out the window." Hm.

"Yes, but, you don't even seem the least bit excited." I pointed out. Shouldn't he be jumping around and exclaiming how the Chosen will regenerate the world?

"…Ah." He replied after an awkward silence. "I simply feel that the Chosen is ill-prepared for such a journey. She is young, younger than I, and I fear for her safety." Well, I guess that makes sense. Colette is sort of a ditz. But she'll be fine! I certainly know it.

"Maybe you should have a bit more faith in the Chosen. She'll do it, you'll see." I offer a smile at him, to which he nods towards, and simply continues downwards. I hope that was somewhat helpful.

We exited the temple shortly thereafter and began the short stroll to Phaidra's priestess house thing. Surprisingly, she was already outside, looking even shorter, somehow. She offered us a smile, and then shortly shooed off Gabriel to do, erm, priestly things, I suppose. "My, what a lucky coincidence," She began. She seemed much more excited now that the Oracle went off. "It appears that of all days to arrive, you get to witness the Oracle and the Chosen of Mana, all in one day!" I smiled. There wasn't much to say to that, really. "Unfortunately," She continued, "I will have to ask that you wait inside for the time being. It would be best to have you out of the way so none of the priests have you helping around, anyway." Now that I think about it…

"Um, Miss Phaidra," I began, "I don't mean to sound rude, but helping out with what? Don't you just have to wait for Co-the Chosen, to arrive?" Whoops, almost slipped there. But honestly, isn't that what they do? Just sit around and tell Colette to go in?

She gave me a wry smile at that, which looked rather odd on a short old woman. "Well, if you wish to sum it up, that is one way to say it. But we also must make certain the trials within the temple stay within the temple." She nodded towards said temple, and I followed her gaze to see multiple priests bending down in prayer. Huh. "They, for example, are using both prayers to Martel and the blessings of a Holy Bottle to keep any demons and monsters summoned from the Oracle's trial within. It would be best not to unleash a cavalcade of monsters upon Iselia, you see." I chuckle at that and rub the back of my head. In retrospect, that does make sense. "We have also sent out a group of our people to retrieve the Chosen, so she may receive the Oracle in relative safety." Oh. Oh dear.

"Um, would that group include Gabriel, Miss Phaidra?"

"Well, of course. He is more physically fit than some of our older priests." I gulp, and realize how hard I'd been biting my lip.

"Um, excuse me, then, I'll go inside now." I briskly walk inside the house once more after Phaidra steps aside, locate a chair, and sit down.

He's going to die.

He's going to die, and I can't do anything about it. The group of priests will be ambushed by Renegades and be left for dead. One will manage to reach the school, and die at the steps, and even if it's just a game, I can't help but feel horrible. I bite my lip, and look out the window to the expanse of ocean nearby. Then the Renegades will come here and utterly destroy everyone, including me. Maybe I should…

No. I have to stay and wait for Micah. He said he'd be here, well, more or less, and I have nowhere to run. And as nice as it might sound, I am certainly not jumping out that window. I drop my bag on the table and lay my head on it, waiting for the inevitable.

It wasn't long before I heard a shout outside. It was a painful yelp, really, and then a sort of cackle. I grit my teeth before the door is shortly kicked open and the Renegades rush in and surround me.

They were terrifying in person, despite me and my friends oft making fun of their outfits when playing the game. Not that I got much of a look at them as strong arms grabbed me and I became intimately close with the floor beneath me. Ow. I'm sure I'll get a headache out of that later.

"You!" One of the voices rang out. It was rough, and vicious. I winced at his voice. I hate loud noises. "Where is the Chosen!" What a jerk. He already know my answer, anyway. If I was to be tortured, why not be witty about it?

"Hell if I'd know," I ground out. I think one of them is stepping on me because it's really hard to breathe. "Why don't you ask someone who works here, duh-" The words were shortly knocked out of me as the foot pressed down harder on me.

"Silence!" And so I was. Jerks.

"Put him with the hag." Hey! We don't call old people hags! Even when they're as ancient and decrepit as Phaidra! "Botta may wish to speak with him." I kept my face as passive as possible, although I was trembling. I know the Renegades are the good guys, but this is getting scary. I also just now felt air runthrough my lungs correctly again as I was pulled off the floor and thrown outside.

"Traveller! Are you alright?" I felt a woman at my side as I sat up and took in the surroundings. "Please, do not strain yourself. I will guard the temple." Wait, what?

Ugh. Oh, gosh. The ground in front of me seemed to be stained red, andif I looked to follow the trails I found myself look at a pile of crumpled corpses with the renegades just finishing dragging a body onto it. I swiftly turned away from Phaidra and emptied the contents of my stomach. I knew the renegades attack the Temple and all, but this is inhumane and disgusting!

"Now, then, I will ask you one last time," An English voice, deep and loud, rang out. Ah, that should be Botta, I think. I gripped the strap of my bag as I stood up with Phaidra and looked towards him. The other Renegades now flanked him, and if Lloyd and friends don't come soon…oh, god, we're screwed. "Where is the Chosen?"

He really did look much more terrifying in person. He was really tall and really, really, built, and the rather large sword he carried with him was quite imposing, despite him being dressed in some tunic dress thing. Looking more closely at said weapon, I noticed the Exsphere embedded within it, and the blood on its edge. I shuddered then.

Phaidra took a step back towards the Temple, and I followed, while the Renegades continued our dance by stepping forward. We didn't have much of an escape plan, and I looked to Phaidra to talk about it, but her eyes stared elsewhere, farther ahead, and wide with…fear, maybe?

"Run, Colette!" Ah!

I looked past the Renegades and saw our three heroes, boldly advancing! My hand moved to my heart as I noticed how loudly it was beating. Oh thank the gods, we're saved!

"Lord Botta! There she is!" One of the soldiers cried out, gaining the attention of the others as they let Phaidra and I be ignored for a time.

"Chosen One, your life is mine!" Oh, crap, wait a minute! If Botta fights them now, they'll be skewered like shish-kabobs! I have to do something!

"I won't let you Desians get away with anything!" Lloyd had shouted. So brave. Although the Renegades found it funny as one of them cried out.

"Desians? …Hahahaha!" He must be having fun.

"What's so funny?" Genis had replied, his face scrunching up in indignation.

"Well then," Another soldier said, "Die at the hands of the Desians you so hate!" And in rhythm, the Renegades and Lloyd, Genis, and Colette advanced upon each other while Botta looked on.

"While they take care of the Chosen…" He turned around to face us with an intense stare. Oh dear. "It will be simplest to take you both as hostages, I suppose. But killing you now," He raised his sword. Oh god I'm going to die. "Would be much simpler!" I cringed, shying away from the large blade and squeezed my eyes shut. I'm going to die. I'm going to die and the god damn story hasn't even truly begun yet!

I kept my eyes closed, waiting for the telltale sound of metal ripping through flesh, but all I heard was metal to metal. What? Did Phaidra suddenly get a sword or something? I opened my eyes and the sight brought me to smile.

"Hey, douchebag! Pick on someone your own size!" The ambiguous voice rang out as I looked at Micah in shock. He really came! I…also think I might have squealed there. Oh, gosh. He turned his head a tad to look at me from the corner of my eye and flashed me a grin, saying, "I don't go back on my word. Leave this guy to me." He finished before bringing his other fist to Botta's face, forcing him a good few feet back and leaving what looked to be a nasty bruise on him. He didn't seem to flinch, however, so I guess he must have cheekbones of steel.

"Hm," He managed to say, glancing over to the fight his soldiers were fighting, looking just in time to see Lloyd and co. kill his last friend. He raised his hand in the arm, making some form of signal before shouting, "Vidarr!" Holy shit! Before I knew it, I saw the hugest human being I've ever seen climb up the cliffside. He was like a mountain! Wielding an equally huge ball and chain, he jumped over Botta and landed in front of our heroes, spinning the weapon wildly.

"Do not get in our way!"

"Now then," Botta calmly replied as he turned back to us. "It appears I must deal with some underground scum." Micah grinned wildly while I backed up to Phaidra once more. She seemed to be in pain just watching her granddaughter fight.

"Even if I'm all for killing the Chosen," The oni responded. "I'm not for killing my friend. So move, bitch, or I'll move you!" What a mouth. I whispered a quick apology to Phaidra, seeing as I'm sure swearing on holy grounds is a bad thing, more or less.

And before I knew it, they were assaulting each other on all sides, Micah meeting most of Botta's sword strikes fist-on and mostly aiming for the face. Seeing as I was sure Micah would be fine, I turned to look at the other fight occurring with the monster of a man, and to my horror, our heroes were on the ground, struggling to get up while Vidarr began to spun his weapon violently. Well, not to my horror. I hate to sound terribly smug, but I already know what's happening next anyway. Haha, right about…

The ball of chain crashed against a green barrier, what I assume to be known as Guardian, and Kratos entered the scene, all within spandex glory! Well, it's not spandex, but some tight material or the other. I think I'll stop now so as to not sound entirely creepy.

"Who are you?" Lloyd inquired, finally rising to his feet. Kratos took a sidelong glance at him.

"Get out of the way." Regardless of whether they did or not, Kratos shortly clashed with Vidarr, making sharp and accurate cuts around his body, already nicked with them due to his earlier brawl. When I turned my gaze once more to the other battle, I noticed Botta and Micah were both staring at Kratos, wide-eyed and lowered their arms.

"I never thought you'd show up." Botta said, more to himself than anyone else. "Damn…Retreat for now!" As Vidarr fell with a roar, the remaining Renegades gathered around Botta as they made their escape off the cliff face. I hope one of them falls. Disregarding this, I turned to Micah.

"What's with you, anyway?" Lloyd and company were staring at us now. I wonder if I should say hello? Instead, the only response I got was a sore arm as Micah immediately rushed at me, grabbed my limb and dragged me inside the Temple at surprising speeds. "H-hey! What the heck was that?"

He didn't stop to give me a word until we took the short stairway on the left side of the temple. At this point, he let go and looked at me with wild eyes. It was sort of scary. "What the fuck do you think, idiot! That was an angel! An angel!" He waved his arms, broken chains clinking as they flailed in the air. "This is a covert mission! We can't risk being caught by Cruxis! Not now, anyway."

"But how did you know he was an angel? He looked human enough to me." I replied, pulling the 'I don't know nuffin' act over my face. It wouldn't do if Micah knew I knew what would happen and who was who. "And besides," I pointed out, "He wouldn't try anything with a bunch of kids right there. Especially the Chosen!" Micah paled even further, it seemed. He's really blowing this out of proportion.

"The Chosen, too? Fuck, we need to find a way out of here without them noticing us. But they'll be in soon and we can't be found out…" He stopped to ponder, before looking at the nearby support pillars on the walls of the area we were near. "Ah, that will do." Oh crap.

Without giving any warning, Micah punched the wall directly next to him, causing it to immediately crumble under his strength, and also gave me a heart attack, or something close to it. I jumped back out of fear as the roof of the passageway tumbled down, effectively blocking off the way for anyone to follow. But still, now how are we going to get out! "There. That'll keep us safe." Micah finished, wiping his hands of any residue on his pants.

"What do you think you're doing!" A shrill voice screamed out from behind us, causing my hairs to stand on end as I stiffened considerably and broke out into a sweat. Oh god, did he seriously just trap us with…

Micah seemed nonplussed as he simply turned around to face the owner of the voice, stating, "None of your business. I just needed to break down-" The poor devil didn't even get to finish his sentence as the resounding smack of palm to cheek rang out and he recoiled backward, clutching the wound. "What the fuck is your problem, lady!" He yelled in response. The answer came with another smack, this time the sound of rod meeting head, and he crumbled to the ground.

"What have you done! You've destroyed the priceless walls of the Temple, you great oaf!" Oh god, she begins. "Do you know how long the Temple has been present in history? It has withstood siege, ransacking, fire, all manners of disasters! And you simply shatter it like none of that meant anything!" She raised her foot and stomped it down on Micah's back, causing me to wince. "And you!" Oh god. The nightmare of any Tales of Symphonia player turned to me, rage apparent in her face.

Raine was surprisingly more terrifying in person, and she looked at me with the utmost fury she could muster, holding her staff menacingly. "Why didn't you stop him? Your negligence has caused the destruction of an important part of the Temple!"

"I-I, um," I managed to stutter out before she hit me square in the face with her staff. Owww, that really hurt! It was like the fury of a thousand needles piercing your soul! Well, not really, but owww, it hurts! "O-oww…" Raine turned around, likely to quell her rage before she accidently harms the Temple. I completely forgot she was in here! Ugh, Micah, you idiot! After a few moments, Raine turned back to us, much calmer as well. Micah got up at this point, rubbing his head and feeling for the bruise that will undoubtedly be there later.

"Well," She began, raising her staff a little. The gesture did nothing more than cause Micah to jump behind my back, however, Raine ignored this and moved on. "Hm. It appears that we will be traveling together from this point onwards." Wait, what? "My name is Raine Sage, and you may address me as such. And you are…?" She left the question in the air for one of us to pick up.

"What the fuck, lady?" Micah shouts instead, getting right in her face. "So all of a sudden we're some magical happy group after you hit me god knows how many-" Smack. "Ow! Shit!" Hahah. Raine decided that it would be better to speak to me, despite me being younger, and looks in my direction.

"I apologize, would you care to explain?" I nod, and turn to Micah, who is still cowering from the blow. Wimp.

"Micah," I began, "You caved in the only exit we may know of. We have no idea where to find another one, AND," I continued loudly as Micah opened his mouth. "Unless you want to be brutally murdered, we will not be breaking down the walls of the temple. Besides," I motioned. "There's only one way to go, and that's down."

"…" Micah stood there for a minute, taking it in. The Professor began to tap her foot impatiently. "Bah! Fine!" He threw his hands in the air before pushing past Raine and I, storming down the path in front of us. Raine shared a glance with me before we followed, keeping him within sight. I gripped the strap of my bag tightly, keeping on alert. There were supposed to be monsters here now, right? I'm not really prepared to deal with things like spiders and ghosts, and Micah, although admittedly monstrous in strength, really can't just smash them to a pulp without some questions from Raine, who already seems incredibly suspicious. It's like suspicion is just wafting off her.

"Oh, right," I remembered. Raine turned her head to me as I held out a hand. "I'm Ethan. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sage." She accepted my handshake as we rounded a corner. The Temple really is much larger than expected.

"Please, just Raine will do. If you don't mind my asking…" She looked me in the eye, seeing as we were around the same height, although I think I'm a few inches shorter, give or take some shoes. "What could you be doing within the Temple? You are certainly not a priest, nor are you the Chosen." Well, yeah, she would know. I wonder if I should tell her what happened outside.

"Hurry up, will you!" Micah shouted from ahead, as we had subconsciously slowed our pace. I hold up a hand signaling him to wait, causing him to huff.

"Well, Micah and I came here on a pilgrimage. This was before the Oracle arrived, mind. We came to offer our prayers at the altar, ironically, right when the Oracle had arrived. As such," I paused. "We were sent out to wait inside the side house for the time being. Which is, I assume, when you entered the temple?" She nodded. "Yeah, after you did, I suppose the Temple was attacked by Re-Desians!" I corrected myself.

"What?" Raine replied, eyes wide with disbelief. "But there is a non-aggression treaty between the Desians and Iselia so such circumstance would not occur!" I shrug. I can't really tell her they were not Desians, anyway.

"Either way, they um," I stopped again, thinking of a way to word it. "Ended the lives of many priests. I was dragged out of the side house and thrown next to Phaidra, who is luckily alive and well." I added, so as not to worry her. "And before they could do anything to her, these three kids arrived! Around, um, my age, I think. Maybe younger?" I posit. I think Lloyd is seventeen too, but he's likely older than I. Raine gasped.

"Please, describe these children to me." She demanded. I guess she already has a feeling that they're hers, but that would be obvious, I suppose.

"Umm…" I began. "One was a brunette in a red coat. He had swords." She nodded. "The second was a blond girl who had these ring things."

"Chakrams." Raine interjected. I kept going.

"Yeah. The last one was an elf with white hair. He was pretty short."

"Genis…" Raine muttered to herself. She looked back to me. "What happened then?"

"Well, uh, they started fighting some of the Desians while the big one went after me and Phaidra. But that's okay because Micah came out of nowhere and started fighting with him pretty evenly. Then the leader guy, I think his name was Botta, summoned this really huge Desians! It almost killed them too." I paused. "But then this cool guy came out of nowhere and saved them. The Botta person retreated and then Micah grabbed me and ran in here before, um, doing the breaking thing." I end. Raine nodded.

"Then let us hurry. I worry for the children."

"Are they yours?" I ask, causing Raine to give me a glare that sent chills down my spine. Oh, right, she's really not that old! Oops.

"No, they are not my children. I am not old. One of them, however, is my younger brother, so I worry." I notice how she conveniently left out their names. Oh well, not like I already didn't know them.

"I'm not waiting much longer!" Micah yelled. I sighed and began moving once more, Raine behind me.

As we kept moving, making twists and turns through the temple, I wonder aloud, "Is there even a way out of here? We've been walking for a while."

"If I recall, the place we were at should loop around to the right passage of the Temple's atrium." She looked like she was about to say more before we heard a loud scream ahead.

"AUUUUGH GET IT OFF ME OH MY GOD" A spider seemed to have landed on top of Micah. It wasn't some little spider, either, it was huge. I had to look away to keep from vomiting. I can't stand bugs. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE HELP ME AUGHHHH!" To be honest, he was holding off the spider well enough. His hands were holding its head back so the arachnid couldn't devour him. It was…really ugly though. It was seriously hairy and slimy and, ah, so many legs. I guess he's just afraid of spiders. Running up to the creature, I shrug off my bag, wind back, and gave the insect a good smack to the side, making it lose balance as Micah squirmed out from beneath it. It shortly regained its footing and hissed at his, spider-teeth-mandibles clacking angrily. I normally don't mind bugs, but that's if they're not facing me! I shot a glance at Micah, and he seemed to be trembling as well. …We're pathetic. I could even hear Raine sighing behind us.

"Right, so, um…attack!" I declared, and ran forward, aiming to make contact with its face. It would have none of that, however, and skittered just out of my range. Retaliating, I continued to spin around, hitting its side again. It skid back like before, and it appeared to be dent in its side. Pah, I can give people blunt force trauma, but I guess spiders are a lot harder. I need Micah to smash through the damn thing.

"DIE SPIDER!" And as if my prayers were answered, Micah literally shoved his fist right through the monster's skull before retracting, and the spider fell to the ground, its cranial contents lying around for everyone to see. "YEAH!" He cheered, throwing his fist in the air and shaking some of the gook on it around. I stepped back a few.

"Is anyone hurt?" I heard from behind me. Ah, I forgot Raine was there.

"No, we're fine. He might be a bit shaken up, but that's about it." I replied. Raine nodded.

"I-I don't like surprises, okay?" Micah flustered. "They're cowardly and mess me up!"

"…Right. Let us continue." Raine managed, seeming to fight the urge to facepalm. We were coming up on some sort of exit, at the least. The stairs seemed to be going downwards, but whatever works.

We came upon another large room with a floor underneath it, it seemed. Looking to the left, I noticed a sort of small stand of sorts for holding something. Following my gaze, Raine seemed to come to a conclusion. "That should be where the Sorcerer's Ring is. Considering it seems to be missing, we can safely assume the Cole-the Chosen and her companions have nearly completed the trials of the Temple." She keeps censoring their names. Heheh, I guess we're not to be trusted, are we? Taking in the information, we continue down the steps onto the higher platform. I noticed another set of steps at the other side.

"Ah, there! I bet we'll be able to get out if we go over there. Let's go!" I shout, running over with Raine and Micah on my heels. We make it over and up the stiars, into another corridor without incident. It's sort of eerie, weren't there supposed to be golems back there or something? Micah's been quiet as well, it's a bit odd, but I can't say I know him too well anyway, so maybe that's how he is. "…Shouldn't there be more monsters? It's a trial, after all."

"We can only assume that the Chosen has defeated the enemies, although I do agree that it is more than a little odd that there are no corpses or signs of struggle." Raine offered.

"Bah, whatever, let's just get going before he shows up again." Micah let slip before slapping a hand over his mouth.

"He?" Raine asked. Too late.

"The man in purple. He was sort of scary. I guess he surprised Micah like the spider did." I forced a laugh and Micah turned red from embarrassment.

"H-He didn't-! No!" Raine allowed herself a…chortle, I suppose, from Micah's answer. I'm not good at differentiating the states of laughter. "A-Anyway! I think I see the main lobby!" He said loudly, in an attempt to cover his insecurities as he ran ahead, chains clacking.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me why he is wearing broken handcuffs, will you?" I shake my head firmly, refuting Raine's first answer. "Nor how he has a seemingly endless wealth of strength despite no visible Exsphere upon him?"

"It's elsewhere, I think. Probably in some odd spot. I dunno." I offer. How would I know if he owned an Exsphere, anyway?

"Hm. Alright." With that, we entered the main lobby once more, where Micah was waiting at the exit impatiently. Luckily, there appeared to be no other damage other than the mini landslide Micah made, barring access to the left hallway. "Well, I must thank you for accompanying me to this point. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ethan." She held out her hand and we shook it once more. "If you don't mind me asking…" I shook my head to signal it was alright. "Would you mind if I took a closer look at your bag?" Ah, well, that's odd. I look towards Micah for an answer, causing him to shrug, so I remove it and hand the sack to Raine, who looked it over with great interest.

"MARVELOUS!" Her eyes shined, as she yelled it out. She seemed about to continue, but another voice snapped her out of it.

"…Professor?" Oh god, Lloyd, run! Raine turned and faced Genis and Lloyd, whom were just now descending from the stairs leading to the altar. The shine in her eyes were immediately replaced by fury.

"What? You two shouldn't be here! You were supposed to be studying in class!" She yelled, causing Micah to wince, and I took a step back as she dropped my back and approached them, hand in the air.

"Raine! I…I'm sorry!" I look away as Raine grabs Genis and lifts him into the air, which is quite the feat. I could not, however, plug my ears as the sound of spanking echoed and reverberated around the walls of the temple. Normally, I found this bit hilarious, but oh god it's terrifying and I'm not even watching! The sounds stopped and I turned around once more, only to see Genis on the ground while Raine turns her gaze to Lloyd, whose eyes were still closed.

"You're next, Lloyd." She paused as she raised her arm in the air. "Are you ready?" It was a terrifyingly dead serious tone. Lloyd opened one eye and flinched, turning to run from Raine's wrath. Not missing a beat, however, Raine latched onto Lloyd's ribbons, pulling him back towards her.

"Whoa, no, hey, stop!" He desperately pleaded, but there was no escape as Raine reared back and delivered the most powerful kick I've seen right into Lloyd's behind, sending him back into the wall as she let go. "Oww!" In the end, Genis was on the floor behind Raine while Lloyd was knocked against the wall, rubbing his arse. Raine looked pleased.

"Now, you two, if you've learned your lesson, go back home. There will be no class for the rest of the day. If you would also escort the two men behind you back to Iselia, I will excuse your behavior for today." Genis got up, and Lloyd looked at me, possibly recognizing me.

"But Raine," Genis injected. "There's only one person!" What? I whipped my head around and saw Micah wasn't there anymore, probably having run off. Damn it.

"Hm. No matter. I've received permission from Phaidra to study this temple a little while longer. It's not often that ordinary citizens have the opportunity to enter this place." With that, she moved past the two boys and began her ascent to the altar.

"So, um," I speak up, getting their attention. "I'm Ethan, and um, I'm from Hima, so I don't know my way too well around here. If you could help me out…"

"Yeah, sure!" Lloyd responded enthusiastically, walking ahead. "Come on, it's this way!" I blink. He's pretty hyped up.

"Don't worry, he'll get bored soon enough." Genis said, appearing at my side without my realizing. I open my mouth to respond, but…

"MUHAHAHAHAHA!" The cry rang out from above us, making me jump in shock.

"…What was that?" I asked warily. Genis paused, the expression on his face looking as if he was caught with a cookie from a jar in his hand.

"…You're better off not knowing." With that, he continued ahead. Dropping the subject. I followed, seeing as walking somewhere in groups is better than alone. Still, where did Micah go? I'll have to confront him about that if I find him again.

The walk back was quiet and relatively uneventful. I'm not the most social person, and I didn't really know what to say, while Lloyd kept looking at me, trying to make sure if I was the person he dragged back to Dirk's house this morning. The silence was really getting to me, seeing as most monsters were recently slain by the group on their way here. "Um…" I begin, grabbing the two boys' attention. "Where are you guys going after we reach Iselia, then?" Lloyd smiled.

"We're going to go see Colette! She told us to come to her house after she got the Oracle!" I did my best to look blank. I don't really know who Colette is, technically.

"Colette is the Chosen." Genis said, giving me the quick answer. I nodded.

"It's right up ahead!" Lloyd shouted, before running to the school visible in the distance. Genis sighed, before moving his short legs to catch up while I did my best to keep pace. We don't have exspheres like him, after all. Regardless, we caught up to Lloyd at the entrance. He looked at me once more. "So where are you going now?" Hm, I don't really know, do I?

"Um, can I come with you guys?" God, I'm such a sue. "It would be nice to meet the Chosen while I'm here." Genis and Lloyd share a look, I guess whether to deny me or not.

"Yeah, why not?" Lloyd finally says. "Come on, her house is over this way." They begin walking down the left road, and I follow for a minute or two, before they stop at the house on the corner. That was pretty fast. "Come on, let's go in!" He exclaimed, before running up to the door. Genis paled.

"L-Lloyd, don't invite yourself in when it's Colette's house!" He protested, embarrassed at his friend's actions.

"It'll be fine!" He replied, smiling. Genis sighed, and followed him in as they entered, and I kept the trend, entering shortly afterwards. I took a peek inside over Lloyd's shoulder, which wasn't hard, being that I was a tad taller than him, and noted the company. Seated at the table were Phaidra, Kratos, Colette, and who I assume to be the Mayor and Frank, all looking at us due to our sudden intrusion.

To ease the silence, Colette blurted out, "Thank you so much for your help earlier!"

"Ohh, you're back! Thank you for your assistance earlier!" Phaidra added. I'm sure she was supposed to say something else, but maybe I'm just a bit confused.

"It's no problem." Genis waved off.

"Say, were you talking about the world regeneration journey just now?" Lloyd added, cutting to the chase.

"Yes." She answered. How blunt.

"Wow! I want to go, too! I wanna see Colette regenerate the world!" He said, getting quite excited. Maybe he should calm down for a moment? Bah, I'm not Lloyd's keeper, only his creeper.

"If Raine is going, I want to go, too." Genis added, not one to be left out.

"No, you'll get in the way." I stifled a snicker there. Kratos' flat-out refusals always struck me as incredibly funny, especially with the deadpan voice he has going on.

"Wh...what!" Lloyd balked.

"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us. Children need to stay home." He answered coolly.

"Kratos is absolutely right. Now then, we still have things to discuss. You two should go on home." The duo looked about to press the matter, but the Mayor's cold glare made them turn around to leave the house. Not a moment later, Colette ran out to follow them. Once more, it was silent, and I stood there for a good ten seconds before I noticed everyone was looking at me this time. Whoops.

"Uh, hi." I gave a little half-wave. Silence was my reply, so I continued, somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, I was at the Temple during the attack." Phaidra seemed to finally recognize me just then, and her eyes widened a little in recognition.

"Oh, yes, you were the one who had come to offer his prayers at the temple! I must apologize that you had to witness such a terrible event." She said.

"Ah, ah, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use!" I replied.

"Such a nice young man. Is there anything we can do for you?" She said, and I froze. This could be my way in! The big chance to join the World Regeneration group! But my fanboyisms aside, it IS a dangerous journey, and I really could die out there. I don't have any artes, I don't know where Micah is, and my weapon is a bag. So in reality, it would be best if I simply ask for directions to Lloyd's house, to at least return the supplies I owe Dirk. I had forgotten about them.

"I was thinking maybe I could accompany Colette on the World Regeneration journey if I could, at least until we reach an area near Hima, as I would like to get home posthaste." My words tumbled out of my mouth before logic could stop me. Phaidra's lips tightened, the Mayor sighed, and Kratos appeared a tad bit more annoyed. Oops.

"I'm sure you heard the answer given to Lloyd and Genis, dear," She began. "We cannot allow you to accompany Colette for the very same reasons."

Before the Mayor and Kratos could continue to party poop on my idea, I raise my hands up in defense and wave them a bit, shaking my head. "Ah, no, no, I understand. It was a long shot, anyway. Could you at least tell me how to reach Dirk, the dwarf's, house? I managed to get here from there, but I can't rely so much on my own directions when it's getting late."

Phaidra smiled, her face crinkling somewhat. Like bubble wrap? Ah, no, that was an odd way to say it. "That, I can do." She stood up and rummaged through a trunk of items behind her. it was a small room, and house, after all. After a moment or two, she turned around with a yellowed parchment in her hands. "It's a bit old, but this map of Iselia Forest should do." I nod, and begin to reach for it, before Phaidra pulls back a little. "Ah, yes, give me a moment." She placed the map on the table and removed the quill from the small ink bottle that was also situated there, and marked a large black X on about a quarter of the map. "Right there," She pointed, "Is Desian territory. You would do well to avoid it." I smile in response, and take the map. Not that it would help me a whole lot in the end. I can't read maps. But something is better than nothing.

"Thank you very much, Phaidra!" I say on the way out, and as I reach for the door handle, add, "Do have a nice-BUAH!" Before I realized what was happening, the door opened in my face, knocking me to the ground, and above me stood a very embarrassed Chosen.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I'm sorry!" As she bombarded me with apologies, I grabbed her outstretched hand, using it as weight to pick myself up.

"Um...right. It's fine." I take a moment to brush off anything on my pants before continuing. "I...am going to go now. Have a nice day, Chosen." The fall didn't really hurt, but I can say with the utmost confidence that it was incredibly embarrassing, so before anyone can say anything, I promptly march out of the house and right out of town through the guards, towards the forest. The guards might have said something, but my face felt incredibly red and I refused to look any way but forward.

The trip back through the forest wasn't all that bad, honestly. It was still pretty quiet, and on the way through, I spotted some cut up corpses and other burned ones. It figures Genis and Lloyd were ahead of me, by such sights. I wondered if maybe i should follow them to the Iselia Ranch, where they met Marble, but my gut knots up at the thought of seeing an actual human village. I'm fairly certain this one doesn't actually just have them push around blocks all , I follow the map to the letter, and keep my eyes peeled for monsters, and before I knew it, I had made my way to Dirk's house. I sighed in relief; in retrospect I have a pathetic amount of fighting experience. Beaning bees and spiders in the head with a bag doesn't count. I made it a point to knock on the door as I awaited Dirk.

I didn't have to wait long as he opened the door shortly with a grin on his face. "Aye, ye made it back, eh? Good, now I don' afta worry about ye running off with me gald, then!" I responded with an uneasy smile. How ironic that I had been planning to do so, but it appears Micah is nowhere around, so I suppose it's okay to do this. He led me in and sat me at the table as he went back to smashing something or the other on his iron board with a hammer. I'm not all that well, or remotely versed in the art of blacksmithery, so I take to looking out the window. "So, 'ow was the trip?"

"Oh, ah, it wasn't all that exciting." I waved it off. Lloyd can tell him about it later. "I do have your supplies!" I pull the requested gels and other such assorted wares out of my bag and push it towards him, which he gladly accepted and put to the side. I move to get up from the table before a sharp pain jabbed into my stomach and I doubled over. "Ah-!" Oh, gosh, don't tell me I have to...

"Are ye alrigh', lad?" Dirk rushed over to my side, but I held up a hand to tell him to back up. This is so embarrassing...

"Yeah, I'm, uh, fine. Uh..." I pause, slowly standing up again. The pressure is still there, but regardless. "Do you guys have a bathroom?" Dirk looked at me for a second, his expression incredibly grave. Right before he burst into laughter that is. "H-Hey!"

"Ruh-Right outside, lad! Hah! Ahahahahah!" He was holding his sides now, and I could feel my cheeks beginning to flush. Right outside? I briskly exited the main room and walked the perimeter of the house, but all I saw of use was Noishe's pen, the gravestone, and trees. just a bunch of trees all over. Wait...

Oh god, they don't have a bathroom.

"What the hell are you doing around here, you idiot! When I said Martel Temple, I meant we still go back to the god damn Temple!"

And Micah is right behind me, isn't he.

**Hello everyone! I have been thrown through a bunch of stuff and so the story got thrown to the back burner and that is so embarrassing. I had to do college applications, my term paper, and we also dropped through a whole family emergency, so it was just a mess!**

**This chapter was also half done a while ago, so some issues apparent in Chapter One may still be apparent. Sorry! I enjoy criticism, though!**


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